history – David Jack

**Macarthur Bulls players celebrate another goal against Newcastle Jets in their 5-4 win. Sadly, a minimal crowd**

There are very good reasons why association football / soccer is the most popular sport on Earth. To play at the elite level requires an enormous amount of skill and athleticism but the beauty of football is that you don’t need to have the skill or athleticism of a professional footballer to compete and enjoy the game. The number of people playing different forms of the game has increased exponentially over the last twenty five years. This is due largely to a massive growth in female participants, expanding older age competitions and even grandfathers and grandmothers can get involved with walking football.

**“Experienced” footballers enjoying the rigours of walking football**

With an extraordinary number of football participants, why then does Australia not have thriving adult professional competitions, playing before packed crowds and why does our football rank well below Rugby League and Australian Rules football (“AFL”) in crowd numbers and media coverage ? There is nothing wrong with the product and excitement that our game can generate – consider the recent 5-4 victory by Macarthur Bulls over Newcastle Jets with the Macarthur winner being scored in the 6^th minute of injury time. We still however need to have financially viable clubs consistently attracting crowds to their grounds supported by significant numbers of TV viewers.

**Steve Rosich APL Chief Executive – A big job ahead**

I believe that our football brand (and we can call it “soccer” if we like) can become the number one spectator sport in the country but a major rethink of local club football is essential. We know that football is the largest participation sport in the country but 98% of participants, myself included, do not attend professional or semi professional football matches. Crowds and interest in the Isuzu A League and Ninja W League are floundering with management of the Australian Professional Leagues (“APL”) recently having passed to a new CEO, Steve Rosich, a person with no previous experience in our football.

**Dwight Yorke celebrates Sydney FC’s A League trophy win 2006**

There have been a numerous false dawns in Australian club soccer. We’ve had the impact of mass European immigration after World War 11, qualification for our first FIFA World Cup in 1974, the inception of a National Soccer League in 1977 and then the birth of the A League in 2004. After a promising start boosted by marquee players, the A League and W League are struggling to engender media interest and crowds are declining.

**More potential APIA Leichhardt fans disembark in Sydney in 1958**

Australian club football needs yet another reset and it is time to wind up the franchise model of former Football Australia chairman Frank Lowy and welcome back to the football fold, the “foundation” clubs and those district clubs nationwide, who are the primary source of football talent in this country.

We need senior competitions where clubs from all over the country can strive to replicate the exploits of Welsh club Wrexham. Last season, Wrexham gained promotion in the United Kingdom for the third successive season and are now knocking on the door of English Premier League football. Why can’t South Melbourne, APIA Leichhardt or Adelaide City have a similar dream to that of Wrexham? Why can’t the elation that the Wrexham fans enjoyed, be mirrored in Australian club football?

**Wrexham players celebrate their promotion in 2025**

It all seems too hard for Football Australia who seem hell bent on keeping the status quo of the A-League and W-League franchises. Financially, Football Australia have been struggling, burdened by a significant debt owed by the APL, despite revenues reaching a record high as at April 2025. The governing body has been beset with staffing issues and although former CEO James Johnson resigned as far back as May 2025, a full time replacement CEO has still not been appointed.

I don’t believe that a thriving full time professional national football competition is possible in Australia. There is barely an A League or W League club that is financially buoyant and most clubs are living beyond their means. The Isuzu A-League and Ninja W-League clubs presently rely on (diminishing) television rights, financial investment from dubious corporate entities and allocations from grass roots football registration fees to finance their operations.

**Manny Aguek scores for Sth. Melbourne v Marconi – Aust. Championship**

It will be considered radical and regressive but Australian club football must revert to State based competitions and some players will need to be part time professionals. The recently completed Australian Championship showcased a number of NPL and foundation clubs and considering the less than convenient match scheduling and minimal media coverage, the competition was successful, on and off the park. Under my model, the championship format could be retained with the top two clubs from each State based competition competing for the end of season Australian Championship.

**A healthy crowd at Drummoyne Oval – NSW Fed. 1971**

Australian club football has to return to making district and community based clubs the focus of club football. Clubs must have their own grounds, which can be modest initially but grounds that become synonymous with the club rather than largely empty, soulless stadia. Those who have witnessed club football in days gone by at Lambert Park, Leichhardt or Lakeside Stadium (formerly Middle Park) Melbourne, remember how even a modest crowd could generate an electric atmosphere. These district and community based clubs must have the ability to play in the highest level of Australian club football.

**Short lived euphoria for Northern Spirit fans – NSL 1999**

Playing State based competitions would have numerous financial benefits. Among these are the significant travel and accommodation cost reduction, increased crowd revenue generated by both sets of fans being able to travel regularly to home and away games and the lower staging expense if clubs were operating out of their own, more modest stadia. Community based clubs would also generate local interest so that young footballers had a clear pathway through the ranks to the top level without being sidetracked by expensive private football academies, whose primary objective is financial. Playing in the club’s home town would create an affiliation, an affection and sense of belonging for local residents, the club would be “our club”.

**Lakeside Stadium- home ground of South Melbourne FC**

Promotion and relegation from the lowest NPL divisions to the premier level of club football is imperative. No longer would there be meaningless top tier women and men’s football from mid season onwards played in front of empty grandstands. There would be true competition at the top and bottom of all divisions of club football and this would provide all Australian senior players with the opportunity to play at the summit of Australian club football.

The 2024 Isuzu A League Grand Final, played at Industree Group Stadium Gosford perfectly showed that the future of Australian club football lies not with centralised clubs playing in large sparsely populated stadia, Allianz Stadium Sydney and Suncorp Stadium Brisbane come to mind, but in smaller local grounds centred in the heartland of the clubs’ supporter base.

**Jubilant CC Mariners fans celebrate their 2024 Grand Final victory**

Admittedly, this was a grand final, but the Mariners “rags to riches” success captivated the district. This was the locals’ own team performing above expectation in their club’s backyard. Club supporters don’t want to have to battle city traffic or parking issues to watch their local team. The Manly Sea Eagles rugby league fans are a good example where the fans will rarely travel outside of what they call “God’s country” to support their team. However, give the Manly fans “Brookie Oval”, now 4 Pines Park on a Friday or Saturday night and the ground will be packed.

Frank Lowy wanted football to become the primary football code in Australia but as Lowy’s grandiose plans for the A – League and W League have wilted and with crowds and interest diminishing, it is time for yet another reset of Australian club football. Premier level competitions where clubs are clearly aligned with a community and /or geographical location, playing at their appropriately sized and situated grounds, in front of excited, vibrant crowds.

GEORGE BEST ( 1946 – 2005 )

by David Jack

On 28th December 1963, on a cold Manchester afternoon, this 10 year old was smuggled (as usual) into the press box at Old Trafford, under my late father’s overcoat. My team Manchester United had been hammered by Burnley 6- 1 a few days earlier, continuing what for them had been an ordinary season. United’s manager, the legendary Matt Busby had made one notable change to the side thrashed a few days earlier, bringing in a slightly built 17 year old Irishman, George Best.

My memories of that game are blurred but I do remember the bright orange colour of the ball, in vogue in those days and that this young boy, George Best scored one of the goals as United exacted 5 -1 revenge on their Lancashire neighbours, Burnely. Best had made his debut earlier in September that year, but his fatherly mentor and manager, Matt Busby decided that George needed a little more toughening in the reserves before he would be let leash on the English first division. Best was never again left out of a United side during Busby’s reign, after that second Burnley match.

**George Best holding his left boot after an F.A. Cup tie in 1965**

I would subsequently forego the relative comfort of the press box to watch United with my school friends on the Old Trafford terraces. Best reigned supreme at United for 11 years, outshining no such lesser names as Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. Still a youngster, I was not allowed to attend mid week matches, but can remember many a morning waking up after a midweek fixture and asking my dad “How did we go ?”. Very often, the response would be simply “Bestie murdered them”

As a child I dreamed of playing for United and I wanted to be Georgie Best. I wore my shirt out over my shorts like George, I tried to imitate George’s dribbling style and mannerisms and as soon as I was able to shave, I would try to grow the “designer stubble”. My family moved to Australia in March 1967 and I was devastated. How could I live without my United, my idol, Georgie Best?I didn’t have to wait long however, as Manchester United toured Australia in June that year. On a rain soaked Sydney Showground pitch on a Wednesday evening, United put three goals past a Sydney representative side and George Best scored a memorable goal from a short corner. I later played with the man marking George that night, Cliff Van Blerk. Cliff was a lovely fellow but as a full back he could tackle as hard as anyone. Well Cliff fondly recalls that although he played in the NSW Federation (State League) into his 30’s, his struggle with George Best that night took 10 years off his life.

Having had this shot of Manchester United and Best, I carried on my life in Australia progressing through the local football ranks until 1970 when I was offered a trial with Manchester United. Truly a dream come true. I had three months at United and witnessed first hand the character and the footballing brilliance of George Best. I played in the United “B” team and was fortunate to be on the same training pitch and play in small sided games with George.

GB%20Versus%20Chelsea[1] — **Once again, George gets the better of Ron “Chopper” Harris**

United offered to keep me on for a further twelve months, but I was homesick and decided to return to Australia. Maybe I was still trying to imitate Best, who himself fled Manchester for Belfast, after just acouple of days at United, before later returning. I played many years in the local NSW State League still trying to be George. I tried (successfully) to flick the ball away from a goalkeeper like Best did to Gordon Banks in Belfast. I went through a period of consistently trying the audacious lob that Best pulled off against Spurs at Old Trafford. I gave up shooting with power for a whole season – just lobbed everything. How ridiculous !

I was content to live out my life in Australia and enjoy the childhood memories of a player whose artistry, courage, speed and sheer football brilliance will never be matched. Out of the blue I came across George again in 1983. By now his extravagant lifestyle had contrived to make George, by necessity, a footballing mercenary and he arrived in Australia that year to play for Brisbane Lions in the old National Soccer League. Along with thousands of others, I travelled to Sydney’s Marconi Stadium to see George play. All came with great expectations but George, by then 37 had a quiet match but we didn’t care – he was George Best.

**George Best playing for Dee Why against Manly in 1983 – I’m in the blue strip of Manly, shadowing George**

When George’s stint with Brisbane came to an end, he stayed on for a short while and amazingly I would again end up on the same pitch as my idol. The Best resume which showed “work experience” ranging from the world’s most famous football club to Dunstable Town, suddenly had a new entry – Dee Why Swans. George, a little short of cash at that time, agreed to play for Dee Why for a reputed sum of AUD5,000. A crowd of several thousand turned up at Cromer Park, Dee Why where my team Manly Warringah were to play Dee Why. George played the full match. He struck the post early in the first half from 35 metres, just to remind the crowd that they were in the presence of a one time superstar. Manly won 3 -2 but George did manage to get on scoresheet. When George scored, nobody cared that he was conservatively 3 metres offside. George rounded our keeper Mark Dower, with the same ease that he did when beating the Benfica goalkeeper, Jose Henrique to score that famous 1968 European Cup Final goal.

item_4664[1] — **The Belfast grave of George and mother Annie**

A shy and modest man despite the fame and adulation, George Best was the complete footballer. The adjectives to describe his talent are never ending and only those who saw him at his peak can bear testament to his true greatness. The world of football is an immeasurably better place for his life and was greatly saddened by his premature death.

George Best died in a London hospital on 25th November 2005 from complications resulting from an earlier liver transplant.

David Jack

Tag: history

THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIAN CLUB FOOTBALL

GEORGE BEST